Module 2: Advanced Techniques with Lobbying Data Set
In this assignment, you will apply advanced techniques that you have learned in this class using a dataset that shows how much each local government agency in the state has paid for lobbyists to go to the state capitol and work for their causes.
Let’s assume that you are a reporter for a metro daily news organization, and you cover local politics. You think there’s a story in the data, but you’re not sure what it is. You will answer the following questions using the WA-lobbying data set and Tableau and find out if there is a story in the data.
First, download the data (WA lobbying.xlsx Download WA lobbying.xlsx), and connect to the data using Tableau. Then, answer the following questions:
- How many Entity Types are there in the data set?
- How much is the lobbying spending for that Entity Type?
- Using a filter on Entity Type, which port spent the most on lobbying? How much did it spend?
- Using the same filter, which tribe spent the most on lobbying? How much did it spend?
- Explain how you used a filter to answer questions 4 and 5.
- What Entity Type spent the most in the Other category? How much did it spend?
- What Entity Type spent the least in the Other category? How much did it spend?
- What kinds of entities are included in the Other category? How might you categorize them and why?
- Is there any story in the data? If yes, what is it? If no, why is not there any story?
Submission Requirements
You will submit answers in a 1-2-page Word document with your Tableau workbook (TWBX workbook!). Both the Word document and Tableau workbook (TWBX) will be used for grading. Label each Tableau sheet with the question number that you answer. You will have one Tableau sheet for each question.
This assignment will be assessed based on the accuracy of your responses to each question in the worksheet.
